The Resistance of Fate
by IridiumRing92
Summary: After her last moments in the Forgotten City, Aerith wakes up to find herself in the very presence of the man who took her life. And no matter what she does, she just can't seem to figure him out. But their initial dislike of each other eventually gives way to something deeper. Meanwhile, the rest of the Planet lies in chaos...
1. Prologue

**Hey, so it's me again. I decided that because I had nothing to do today and it was randomly snowing, I'd post this.  
**

**Yes, this is an Aeriseph fanfic. I wrote it back in December while I was playing through Final Fantasy VII. I figured out pretty quickly Sephiroth was my favorite character besides Cloud and I definitely didn't see enough of him during the game.  
**

**(That game really didn't like me. I don't know if I was under-leveled the whole time, or what, but I had a hard time getting through it.)**

**Anyway, if this gets enough reviews and stuff, maybe I'll post more! Hope you like it!**

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**~~~~Prologue~~~~**

"Sir. Madam. May I come in?" the man in the black cloak asked quietly, careful not to stand too close. He adjusted his hood against his head so that they could not see the shiny strands of hair that hung close to his face.

"Please," the woman said. The man nodded. They led him down the hall to a door and opened it.

The brown-haired young woman lay curled before them on the small bed, her arms clasped around her as though she was trying to keep herself together. She cast a glance at the three of them, raising her head slightly, but let out a small whimper at the mere motion and lay back down.

"How long have you been keeping her here?" the stranger questioned carefully. He didn't want them to pass any sort of judgment on him.

"A day or two. When we first found her, she had been wounded—nearly fatally. It's a miracle she survived." The man spoke, his voice soft so he wouldn't disturb her.

The cloaked man closed his eyes as though he was considering something. "Let me take her with me, please. She'll be—she'll be in better conditions," he finally said.

"If you insist." The woman had spoken with a voice full of pain, as though she didn't want to let the girl go. But the black-clothed man knew she was not theirs.

"I do insist," he said. "I—I'll take good care of her."

He glanced at her, just in case she could hear him. But she seemed lost in her own world of pain, suddenly gasping at something and screwing her eyes shut.

"Please do," the woman responded.

"I will." The stranger strode quickly to the edge of her bed and crouched down. Gently he whispered her name and said, "You're coming with me." He tried not to show too much emotion, either way, in his gesture as he reached for her hand.

The girl was too weak to jerk away. She gasped in pain again and closed her eyes.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She didn't speak. He knew the answer, but put one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, lifting her from the bed.

"Thank you, sir, ma'am," the stranger said to the man and woman, and then hurried out the door with her in his arms.

The young woman cried out in pain many times before they reached their destination. When he arrived, though, he carried her quickly through the front door despite her anxious gasps. He laid her gently on the bed in the back room and turned to leave.

He was standing in the doorway when he heard a weak voice call out, "C…Cloud?"

It was her; she was finally speaking to him. But not _really_ to him.

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "Not Cloud."

He hated hearing that name, the name which had stripped him of all his power and all his control. The name which had brought him to her, to the town not even identified on maps.

"Then… Where is he?" her voice whispered.

_If I knew, he would have returned to the Lifestream._

"I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could come up with, though it meant nothing coming out of his mouth.

The young woman gasped again, her hand jerking up to cover the spot where she had been wounded long ago. The cloaked man recognized it and remembered with a wave of some backwards emotion the image of the blade piercing her thin body. He wondered how she had survived the wound.

"Cloud… Se…Sephiroth…"

Tension crept into the stranger's shoulders as he listened.

"…Cloud…"

He shook his head, exasperated, and stepped out of the room.

With no one around, he could finally lift his hood from his face. And so, standing in the near-darkness, he pulled the fabric back from his head and let his long, silver hair fall over his shoulders.


	2. Chapter I

**Hey, if you don't know what "Voices of the Lifestream" is, go look it up right now. It was my inspiration while writing this.**

**Oh and I don't own any of this stuff. Square Enix does. It's cool.**

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**~~~~Chapter I~~~~**

Aerith Gainsborough seemed to wake from a very strange dream. A man in a cloak had come to rescue her from her personal hell, only to reveal that his face was _his _face, the very last person he should have been.

She sat up slowly, the pain in her abdomen stabbing her for a second and then ebbing away. The wound should have killed her. Aerith remembered that much. But that was where her strange dream had begun—with opening her eyes in a new town as a man and a woman crouched near her, voices murmuring soothing words. Since then they had taken care of her.

But now, as she finally sat looking at her surroundings with clear eyes, she couldn't discern whether those events had been real. _This_ was real. The room she was lying in, the sheets that were underneath her and every breath she took were all real. What she didn't know was where exactly that room was, and what air she breathed. Could she be in Midgar?

Aerith stood up, trailing one of the bed sheets behind her, and walked on unsteady legs to the window. The view from there was unlike any she'd seen. It wasn't the desolate streets of Midgar, or the towering spires of the Forgotten City. Instead she saw the ocean, stretching out into forever. Maybe she was in one of the smaller towns.

She was suddenly ripped away from her thoughts as a voice said from behind her, "Ah… You're awake."

The voice was unfeeling, calculating. Aerith suddenly pulled the sheet tighter around her as it hit her ears. She whirled around and saw exactly what she had hoped she never would again.

There, again, were those cold, blue-green eyes on a narrow face framed by silver hair, belonging to a tall man wearing a black cloak.

Aerith's heart seemed to stop.

That was _Sephiroth._

For a moment all she could do was stare back at him, her eyes wide. His smile was toxic, his lips pulling back so that half a snarl formed on his face.

_Oh, no, _Aerith thought, _I survived that wound the first time only to come back and have it happen again._

"Aerith Gainsborough… I remember you." His voice echoed through the nearly-empty bedroom.

She cast her eyes down for a heartbeat and then brought her gaze up to meet his, glaring this time. "I remember you as well, Sephiroth," she replied steadily.

"You and Cloud Strife were always together… Up until we all met in the Forgotten City." The snarl had vanished from his face. He was staring straight back at her, as though he was remembering something he didn't want to remember.

"Cloud!" Aerith gasped. "What have you done with him? Is he alive?!" She took a half step toward Sephiroth like she meant to challenge him, but knew she was in no condition.

"Oh, he's alive." Sephiroth's expression was cold. "But he—"

Aerith waited for him to finish his sentence, but Sephiroth didn't. "What?" she demanded. "What happened to Cloud?"

"I don't know," Sephiroth snapped almost defensively. "I shouldn't be here either…" he added under his breath.

"What was that?" Aerith asked.

"We are alike in one way," Sephiroth said quietly. "Both of us should have been sent into the Lifestream."

"The Lifestream? You mean—you mean you should have died too?" She felt like a child asking all these questions, but couldn't stop. She had to know where Cloud was. And she had to know—had he made an attempt on Sephiroth's life?

"This is none of your business," Sephiroth accused. "Stay here until I call for you." He spun around and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Aerith sank back down onto her bed, wondering why he had even continued speaking with her.

Letting her thoughts drift, she found herself left unpleasantly thrust into a memory of Cloud. The day they had arrived at the Gold Saucer—their first date. Why had it ended so soon afterwards?

And where was he now?

Aerith was locked in her bedroom for what felt like hours. She had no idea what time it was, where she was, or how much time had actually gone by. Finally the door clicked open again and in stepped Sephiroth again.

She had kind of hoped he wouldn't come back, whether that meant getting out of here or not.

"Aerith," he muttered. "Come with me."

Almost reluctantly, she stood up and crossed the room to where he stood in the doorway. She then followed him outside. From the front door, they could see the shore of one of the islands. Aerith wasn't sure which one it was, but they definitely weren't anywhere near Midgar.

"W—Where are we?" she stammered. She realized afterward that it wasn't exactly the most assertive comment.

"We are just outside Mideel." Sephiroth's expression was blank. Aerith wasn't sure what he was thinking. "We need to find some way to Midgar. Cloud will be there."

Aerith began, "Cloud?"

Sephiroth shouldered past her and went back inside.

"Wait," she said.

_Why would he want to find Cloud?_

"Sephiroth," she called quietly. Still there was no answer; he kept walking. Soon enough she had lost sight of him.

Things didn't make sense quite yet. Aerith still remembered her strange dream of the town and the kind people who had taken care of her. She also kept in the back of her mind the comments he'd made…Comments about the two of them being alike, about how he shouldn't have been here. She wasn't sure what to think.

Against her better judgment, Aerith followed Sephiroth back into the house-like building. She couldn't quite describe the place, since it was nearly empty and couldn't be described as a house, but wasn't a straight-up weapons barrack or anything obvious. She wondered when Sephiroth had become compelled to take up residence here, or why it was outside of the town of Mideel and not actually in Mideel.

He was standing with his back to her in the front room. Aerith said, "Why do you want to find Cloud?" She didn't even know whether she expected an answer.

There was a moment of silence before his voice answered, "To give him what he deserved a long time ago."

"No!" Aerith gasped. She found herself reaching for her staff, even though it had been taken away from her some time back. Then she stepped forward like she meant to hit him.

He spun on her, his cold, teal eyes boring into hers. "Do not protest. I will make sure you regret it."

"You can't defeat Cloud." She was glaring at him, knowing her challenge was a dangerous move but not caring. "He defeated _you_ once before, didn't he?"

Sephiroth's expression seemed to harden even further. Aerith assumed his lack of a reply meant she had struck a nerve.

"Stay out of my way," he finally said. "We leave for Midgar tomorrow morning."

He vanished from the room.

* * *

The next morning, Aerith expected to wake to Sephiroth snarling at her to get out of bed. But instead what she found was complete silence. She wondered if maybe she had woken before he had, but concluded that Sephiroth probably didn't sleep.

And so, carefully, she slid out of bed and went to the door, which was slightly open. Aerith finally stepped outside her bedroom, half expecting someone to jump out from behind a wall, but instead the entire atmosphere seemed entombed by an eerie quiet.

She walked forward, turned the corner, and—

Sephiroth.

Her vision was suddenly full of _him,_ but completely opposite of what she would have expected. Sephiroth's unconscious form lay on the wood floor in front of her, a handful of his long silver hair clenched in one hand. It was as though he had fallen against his will and stayed down.

Aerith fought with herself for a second—part of her wanted him to stay down for good. But something else took over her and she knelt down next to him, leaning close enough to see if he was still breathing. Sure enough, he was still alive.

As she backed away, preparing to rise again to her feet, Sephiroth stirred. Aerith froze as he gasped in an attempt to come back to his senses.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her, his expression confused. "What—" he began.

Aerith paused, lips parted as though she meant to say something. Whatever she meant to say, the words wouldn't come.

"Aerith," he muttered as he sat up and propped himself up against the wall across from her. "What am I doing here?" He pressed a hand to his forehead.

"I—I don't know," she answered quietly.

He glanced at his gloved hand like he didn't know what to do with it. Then his eyes seemed to harden again, and he stood up. "Midgar… It was about Midgar."

Aerith hesitantly pushed herself up from the ground and faced him. She had no idea what he was saying, but this was a different Sephiroth than the one who had told her yesterday, _Stay out of my way. We leave tomorrow morning._

Once again, she was very confused.

"Sephiroth…?" Aerith asked. She knew she might be going too far, but she was willing to risk it this time. "Are you… alright?"

"I'm _fine_," he snapped. But there was another emotion, something sensitive behind his eyes. He turned his gaze away.

Aerith wasn't sure what to say. She stood frozen in her spot while Sephiroth stared off into the distance across from her.

Eventually he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "I can't do it," he said under his breath.

Aerith looked up at him sharply, but said nothing.

"We're staying here." He turned to walk away, running his hands through his hair. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

She didn't see much of him for the rest of the day. Aerith stayed in her room and stared out the window, wishing Cloud were there. It was hard for her to fully process the fact that she was stuck in some house outside Mideel with the man who had tried to kill her.

Which brought her to yet another confusing topic. If Sephiroth had tried to kill her once, why not do it again? Come to think of it, she hadn't even seen him using a weapon lately…

Something had happened with Cloud. She was sure of it. From what he had told her, she was almost certain Cloud had attempted to kill Sephiroth. But then, why was he still here plotting his revenge? Had the same thing happened to him that had happened to her? The Lifestream's rejection?

That night Aerith planned her escape. They were near Mideel, so she could take refuge there. She didn't think she'd be able to stand another second of being in the same room as Sephiroth.

She could go straight out the front door, but Aerith never knew where Sephiroth would be. After all, she hadn't expected him to be on the floor in the hallway that morning. She didn't want to unexpectedly run into him as she was trying to get away. Maybe the easier thing would be to climb out the window, she thought, though that presented no easy task either. The window was just above her bed, small and high up.

Just as she was staring up at it, trying to think of a way to get out without making it obvious, Sephiroth opened the door. Aerith stared at him in surprise.

"Just checking on you." He said it almost under his breath. "Making sure you're still alive."

"Oh," Aerith replied dryly, "thanks for the concern."

"Midgar," he muttered again. "What was I…"

Then he quickly closed the door and left Aerith alone with her thoughts.


	3. Chapter II

**Here I am :D I don't really feel like writing much about real life right now. It took me a while to get my computer working (computer problems suck, we all know it...) and find enough time to post.**

**But I have to say, I'm super excited about the reviews and favorites! Thanks so much :D :D :D  
**

**Speaking of which, I do appreciate the comment on my username... Interestingly enough, I didn't plan that. Seriously...**

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**~~~~Chapter II~~~~**

Aerith woke the next morning while it was still dark. Her room was filled with a deadly silence as it had been the morning before, which made her feel uneasy. But her door was closed tightly, not open like yesterday, and she could see no sign that Sephiroth had been anywhere near it.

Carefully, Aerith rose to her feet on her mattress to get a better look at the window. It was a normal window, and would be easy to unlock and open. She pulled the clamps free with a _click_ that seemed unnecessarily loud in her empty room. Pausing a second, she listened carefully for sounds of movement. Then, hearing nothing, Aerith continued working.

The window creaked outward. Aerith thought it probably hadn't been used in forever. She listened closely for any sign of Sephiroth, but again, there was nothing. _Maybe he passed out again._

_And now for the fun part,_ Aerith thought bitterly as she examined the window. This part of the job was going to be anything but enjoyable. She pushed herself up onto the windowsill so that her top half was outside. Then she swung one leg up over the sill and followed with her other leg. Finally she dropped to the ground. The fall stung her feet, but she had made it.

Then she cursed herself in her head. The window was still open. If Sephiroth came in to—as he'd put it—"check on her" again, he'd know her exact means of escape. But there was no way for her to close it now. She'd just have to get away.

Turning from the house with a sigh, Aerith scanned the landscape ahead of her. She was in a thick forested area. How would she know where to go to get to Mideel?

She remembered that she could see the shore from the front door of the building, and so she turned around and circled the house so that she faced the front door. From there, Aerith headed out towards the shore. It took only a few minutes to get there, and she followed it to the center area of the island.

At first she thought maybe she had gone in the wrong direction, but as she crossed through the next part of the forest area, she realized why they could no longer easily see Mideel.

Aerith stopped short, staring at the sight before her. Mideel wasn't there anymore. It had been replaced by a massive puddle of Mako, looking as if the Lifestream itself had come rushing out of the ground to meet it.

She sank to her knees. How could she not have known? How could this have happened? How, why, when? Questions raced through her head and she tried to think of when the destruction might have taken place, but her final memory was one of the Forgotten City, Cloud, and Sephiroth. She had never really seen Mideel.

_Then where do I go?_ Aerith thought to herself angrily. She had no ideas left in her head except to crawl to the pool of Mako and throw herself in.

_But then… Cloud…_ Aerith closed her eyes and remembered seeing him for the last time. If the Planet had allowed her another chance, she thought, she had to take it if she wanted to ever see him again.

She rose to her feet and took a deep breath, her gaze resting on the ruined town of Mideel one more time.

And then she heard footsteps.

* * *

Sephiroth opened his eyes. He hadn't meant to close them in the first place, but the battle taking place within him was too much to bear. Aerith had found him the last time, which was a mistake. He shouldn't have let her see him that way.

His best guess was that she was still asleep. Why would she wake up early anyway, since he had given her nothing else to do?

He remembered that his other side had wanted to go to Midgar, but now he couldn't remember why. It was as if everything he had said and done on that "other side" was lost to him.

Sephiroth rarely felt the other side responding so strongly. Now, it was getting to be a constant war between the two.

He got up from the floor and went in the direction of the room Aerith was staying in. As he did so, he felt his heartbeat quicken. He bit his lip and forbade himself to acknowledge that feeling. He didn't like Aerith, definitely not in that way. He rather relished the memory of her slim body on his blade.

That memory, though, was blurred. It was an effect that came with letting his other side get the better of him.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Sephiroth opened the door. He was immediately hit with a blast of outdoor air. Confused, he glanced around and immediately spotted the open window. At the same time he noticed that Aerith was nowhere in sight.

She had escaped.

Sephiroth clenched a fist. His plans were falling apart before his eyes. If he didn't do something fast, he would never be back where he was supposed to be. He would never be rightfully regarded as the chosen one…

Shaking his head, Sephiroth closed Aerith's window and went to the front door. He glanced back, feeling like he was missing something. Of course it was his sword—the Masamune was gone, not having survived his trip through the Lifestream. He'd have to continue to go without it.

Sephiroth knew the way to Mideel already. It didn't take him long to get there. He could see Aerith standing plainly in front of the remains of the town, her gaze uncertain and yet very determined.

He strode forward, knowing she had heard his footsteps. Aerith turned around and stared at him, looking annoyed that she had been caught so soon.

"Aerith," he began.

And as he opened his mouth to speak once more, he felt his thoughts jerk, as though they had suddenly all been ripped out of his head. His vision blurred, he struggled for control, he felt himself falling. He could see Aerith watching him with slightly concerned eyes. Sephiroth grasped for his sword, though he knew it wasn't there, and just barely, he caught the scent of Mako. _Mako… The Lifestream… Jenova…_

Something seemed to explode within his mind, and he crashed to the ground.

* * *

"Sephiroth?!" His name was out of Aerith's mouth before she could stop herself. Just a second ago, he had looked perfectly fine. Perfectly fine in the sense that he looked like he wanted to kill someone, that is. But then, suddenly, something in his eyes had changed. It was like they had gone from soft to being made of steel.

Aerith wasn't sure whether she should walk away and continue her plan of escaping or leave him there. Half of her wanted to get away from Mideel as quickly as possible, and the other half wanted to see if he was okay.

She pushed away the mere idea of going to him. What would be the point in that?

But just as she began to walk away, she saw him move. Sephiroth stood up slowly, looking at the ground and preventing Aerith from seeing his eyes. But then his eyes flicked up to meet hers, and she gasped.

Those eyes were not the eyes she had looked into when she had found him yesterday. Then, his eyes were normal, an almost pretty teal color. Now they looked like they had been infused with Mako and left without sleep for several days.

"You tried to escape," Sephiroth said in a deadly quiet voice.

Aerith was too stunned to respond.

"What do you think should be your punishment?" he asked, stepping closer to her. Aerith involuntarily backed up a step.

They continued this pattern until Aerith noticed the glow of the Lifestream behind her and turned to see that she was much too close to the site of Mideel's destruction. She knew there was fear in her eyes when she turned back to face Sephiroth.

"Go on," he continued, "give me an idea."

Aerith refused to move back another inch. But Sephiroth came closer. He was close enough that they were almost touching.

Then he placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. She was trembling, too scared to move.

"Hmm," he said with a smile that reminded her of a predator inspecting its next meal, "I think I know what to do already."

Then before she knew it she was falling. Aerith saw his gloved hand flash in front of her, and she gave a cry of surprise before she was crashing into the Lifestream and the destroyed town of Mideel.

_It's over_, she thought, closing her eyes.

* * *

_Aerith's vision blurred at first, but then she managed to bring things into focus. She saw that a figure stood in front of her—and she knew him well._

_"Cloud," she whispered, colliding with him. "Cloud, I'm here…"_

_"Aerith," he said back, sounding a little surprised._

_She pulled back and looked at him. His eyes were still so blue, a shade of bright blue that seemed to glow. Aerith wanted to reach out and brush his bangs away from his face so she could stare into those eyes._

_"Where are you, Cloud?" she said quietly._

* * *

Sephiroth's hand was half-submerged in a pool of Mako. And that was how he noticed, how he came to. Annoyed, he shook drops of the substance off of his glove and ended up staring down at his reflection in the teal-colored puddle.

Something was off. And he hated that feeling. He _knew_ something was off, but it was just beyond his reach.

Then it hit him suddenly.

"Aerith," he growled.

One moment she had been there, the next she was gone. Sephiroth's hand went to his temple as he recalled letting go of reality for just a split second. What had he done? He knew what he'd done before, but without his sword, what damage could he do?

His reflection blinked back at him from the Lifestream, seeming to hand the answer across to him.

He had done it again. He had tried to send Aerith back to the Planet.

Sephiroth moved closer to the pool of Mako, almost wishing for a half-second that he could send _himself_ back to the Planet. But that desire was gone suddenly, replaced by an all-consuming urge to take the power from the Lifestream.

Not for the first time he paused, at the mercy of both sides.

* * *

_"I'm… right here," Cloud said to Aerith._

_"No," Aerith began, biting her lip. "I mean…" She searched his face, as if she could find the answer there._

_"Aerith, don't look for me any longer," Cloud answered. "You'll be safe… Right here."_

_She let Cloud pull her closer to him. At the same time, she knew that his words had come not from Cloud himself, but from the Lifestream. It wanted her back, wanted her to fill in a space left open._

_But she couldn't go. She had to take that chance given to her by the Planet._

* * *

Torn apart by the war between the sides of his consciousness, Sephiroth fell to the ground suddenly, gasping for air. He was fighting to get to the Lifestream. He was fighting to stay alert.

Neither side had won out yet. And it was ripping him to pieces.

Just then the Lifestream in front of him burst forth, flying in all directions. Sephiroth's battle was stalled as he looked up in surprise to see Aerith breaking the surface of the pool of Mako.

She seemed to float in midair for a moment, to look down at him—

But then everything went dark.


	4. Chapter III

**Okay. Here we are! It's been a while, hasn't it?**

**Well, I don't have much to say except thanks for all the reviews and stuff! You don't even know how excited I get when I see them :3**

**Anyway, if you are following The Resistance of Fate, hope you like it. And by the way I don't own Square Enix or any of the characters or Final Fantasy VII.**

**Thanks again :D**

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**~~~~Chapter III~~~~**

Aerith broke free from the Lifestream. As her feet touched solid ground again, she thought about Cloud. Why had she seen him in the Lifestream? He hadn't been called back to the Planet, had he?

She had to get away from Mideel, or she was going to go crazy.

As she walked back toward the shore, she noticed Sephiroth. He was once again out cold. This time she felt no sympathy for him, and kept walking.

Once she got to where she was going, Aerith got a good look at her surroundings. She could see the western continent across the water. It didn't seem that far. If only she could find a way to get there, Sephiroth would never know what had happened to her. And she would be on her way to Midgar—on her own.

Aerith went through her current options in her head, which basically consisted of swimming. And she didn't particularly want to try that.

_How did Sephiroth get here? By teleportation? _she thought to herself. An idea was beginning to form in her mind. If she could find the way Sephiroth had used to get to Mideel, she could use it herself.

Aerith began running along the shore, searching it for any sort of clue. But there was nothing. She started to wonder if she would even find anything at all. With that thought, she found herself staring out at the western continent, at the water between the two pieces of land.

And then a hand caught her on the shoulder, making her jump. She whirled around to see… Sephiroth.

"Stop running away," he said, "would you?"

Aerith couldn't stop the panic that suddenly rushed through her. Sephiroth's eyes were glowing and bloodshot, just as they had been earlier before he had collapsed, and his voice was low and deadly.

"We're going to Midgar, remember?" A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. And before Aerith could even think, he swept her up into his arms and pushed off the ground with one foot, shooting into the air.

He was _levitating._

Aerith let out a small screech as they hovered over the water and, despite herself, tightened her grip on him.

She found herself closing her eyes so she wouldn't see how high above the water they were. She had her arms locked around Sephiroth's waist, her head pressed against his shoulder. It was mostly because, well, if she dared to push him away, she'd fall to her death or get very close to it. But she could feel the muscles of his back through his coat; she could feel the warmth radiating from him. She tried not to think about it, but it was too hard to ignore.

Finally Aerith felt the jolt of landing and opened her eyes. She jumped to her own feet and stood to face the outer gates of Midgar.

"Follow me," Sephiroth said, beckoning for Aerith to come. He walked up to the guard standing in front of the gate and said, "Are we permitted entrance?" His tone was professional but at the same time threatening.

"Uh, well…" The gatekeeper, wearing a SOLDIER uniform, looked very uncomfortable, as though he was familiar with the legendary SOLDIER and had no idea how to respond.

"Well?" Sephiroth hissed.

"I think I, uh, dropped the key somewhere. They haven't found a, um, replacement yet."

In one swift motion, Sephiroth drew his sword and held it to the man's throat, pressing him against the gate. "Give. Me. The key."

"Ah, yes, very well, sir," the uniformed SOLDIER answered. "It's right here…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic card.

Sephiroth smiled. "Thank you." He made another quick motion, sliding his blade across the man's throat and causing him to drop the key and fall lifelessly to the ground with a sound that was a cross between gasping and choking. Aerith winced.

"Coming?" Sephiroth asked her. He glanced over his shoulder at her, and then slid the card into the door. The gate clicked open and slid aside.

Aerith was reluctant to follow. Glancing at the dead SOLDIER, she reminded herself that Cloud might be here. Then she walked after Sephiroth.

"I know you're here," Sephiroth growled under his breath, slowing his pace.

Aerith wanted to ask what he meant, but she kept silent.

She could see that they were on one of the back streets of Midgar, but one that eventually wove straight up to the Shinra building. She considered the fact that Sephiroth might be heading in that direction.

For a second it seemed like she was right, but then Sephiroth made a sharp turn and stood with his back to one wall. He grasped Aerith's shoulder and pushed her against the wall beside him.

Aerith forced herself to breathe. She could still feel his hand on her shoulder even after it was gone.

She wondered why she felt so shaky when he was near her, but before she could think too much about it, a shout rang out and an alarm began to sound.

"Go," Sephiroth said, pushing her ahead of him as he dashed down the street.

"What's happening?" Aerith yelled back at him, stumbling forward.

"It's the Shinra." He stopped and glanced up at the building looming over them. They were concealed in the shadows for a moment, but not for long.

Shinra troops surrounded them on both sides. Sephiroth stepped forward and reached for his weapon. Aerith froze for a moment when she saw that they were surrounded; she immediately accepted that Sephiroth was sending her to her death. But then, as Aerith blinked, he made a thousand cuts in the air, and the soldiers fell to the ground.

Aerith didn't remember seeing him with his sword before they'd left Mideel. Yet she knew better than to ask him about it.

"Let's go." Sephiroth was running again, and Aerith following behind him, struggling to keep up.

They seemed to think they were in the clear when something exploded behind them. More explosions followed, coming ever closer, threatening to blast them both to pieces. Sephiroth's response was only to run faster.

Aerith fell behind after a while, as Shinra troops circled him and he sliced them all in half with his six-foot-long blade. She thought she was out of the crosshairs. And then—an explosion knocked her off her feet, sending her sprawling to the ground and screaming in agony.

_This is it_, she thought as she lay on the ground gasping for breath. _Cloud, I wish I could have seen you again._

The pain wracked her entire body and numbed her thoughts. She didn't know how long she was lying there, in the middle of a Midgar street, but eventually she felt strong arms reach down and pick her up gently. Aerith moaned at the steady throb of pain.

Eventually she allowed the curtain of blackness to come and take her.

* * *

Sephiroth shook his head to clear it as he looked down at Aerith's motionless figure. He wasn't sure what the cause of her injuries was; he wasn't even completely sure why they had ended up in Midgar. One thing was for sure, though—it was the cause of his other side taking over.

Yes, and something else. He had to tend to Aerith's wounds, or she was done for.

* * *

_"Cloud?" Aerith reached out to touch the silhouette before her. "Cloud…" Her voice was weak._

_"Aerith, hang on. I know Sephiroth is there. I'm coming." She could hear him speaking in reply to her, but she couldn't see him._

_"No, Cloud, stay here." Aerith fought to keep her eyes open. "Please…"_

_"Aerith," he said. "Hang in there."_

_She could feel her strength fading as she lost sight of him._

* * *

Sephiroth caught himself drifting, his eyes lingering on her face. She looked so peaceful, and that was what shook him. Had he dragged her into Midgar only to get her killed? Maybe that had ultimately been his goal in the first place, but if it had been, he didn't think he would hold up under the consequences.

Everything after his collapsing in front of the Lifestream in Mideel was a little blurry to him. What had compelled him to cross the continent and enter Midgar? What had compelled him to kill so many of those Shinra soldiers? What had compelled him to risk Aerith's life?

He took a deep breath. This wasn't like him and he knew it. He had to get control.

They were deep in the destroyed Sector 7, where remains of buildings laid and they could conceal themselves among the debris. No one had bothered to clean up the area, so he had been able to salvage a few things from their surroundings.

Still, he doubted it was enough to save Aerith.

* * *

_Aerith stirred and opened her eyes, but it took a second for things to come into focus. She seemed to be back in the Midgar slums. It felt as though every limb in her body was throbbing with pain._

_"Cloud…?" she murmured inarticulately._

_"Aerith," a voice replied. It wasn't Cloud's voice, but some other familiar tone. "Are you alright?"_

_She suddenly sat up with a jolt, searing pain burning through her like fire. She ignored it. "S…Sephiroth."_

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Aerith asked, her voice sharp but at the same time confused.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." Sephiroth averted his eyes.

She squinted at him suspiciously. "Where are we?"

"We're in Sector 7."

Aerith's eyes widened. "But I thought Sector 7 was destroyed!"

"It was, but there are still a few buildings left standing," Sephiroth replied absently.

She lay back down with a sigh, submitting to her pain once again. Then she looked up suddenly. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Sephiroth answered.

"I thought I heard something." She glanced back down.

The next sound they heard was definitely the sound of footsteps. Sephiroth's eyes snapped up as he scanned their surroundings. Aerith took a deep breath and prayed that it was Cloud. She remembered his words in her dreams: _Hang on. I know Sephiroth is there. I'm coming._

And then it happened so fast Aerith could barely see what had gone on. Sephiroth had spun around faster than she could blink, bringing his sword up to meet another blade brough down upon them.

"Let her go," Cloud's voice said.

"Cloud Strife." Sephiroth smirked. "You've come all the way here to take her, haven't you?"

"Yes. And if I have to go through you," Cloud replied steadily, "so be it. Aerith deserves better!"

"I'm surprised," Sephiroth said, rising to his feet. "You seem a lot more confident than you did before."

Aerith's breath caught in her throat as she watched the two of them fly back and forth, blades flashing. After a while she couldn't stand it any longer. She pulled herself up to her knees and gasped, "Stop!"

Cloud glanced at her, his attention diverted, but then Sephiroth knocked him down, his blade suddenly protruding from Cloud's shoulder. Cloud lay on the ground, his face contorted in pain. Sephiroth, merciless, jerked his blade free, sending Cloud's body into spasms.

Aerith covered her mouth with her hand, stunned.

"Stay out of my way," Sephiroth hissed, giving Cloud a sharp kick to the side. Aerith saw that his eyes were glowing again.

Cloud moaned in pain, one hand clasped against his bleeding shoulder. Aerith crawled forward to help him, but Sephiroth blocked her path. "We're leaving," he declared.

"But—" Aerith protested.

"Quiet." He turned his back on Aerith, and then glimpsed something on the ground next to Cloud. Aerith saw it too.

He reached down and picked it up. It was a roll of bandages.

"They're… for Aerith…" Cloud breathed as he saw this happen.

"Cloud—I'm sorry," Aerith blurted out. But Sephiroth dragged her into his arms again, leaving him lying wounded in the middle of Sector 7. "Cloud!"

"Be quiet," Sephiroth chided her.

Aerith watched the scene behind them fade as Sephiroth took off running for the edge of Midgar.


End file.
